Victim tells royal commission Salvation Army abuse complaints process took 62 years to settle

Witness Ralph Doughty told the royal commission he first made a complaint to the Salvation Army in 1951 of physical and sexual abuse suffered during a decade at the Gill Memorial Home. Mr Doughty says that original complaint was never followed up. He says he was only offered $20,000 in 2005, which Mr Doughty refused. He commenced court proceedings in 2012 and settled out of court with the organisation last year for $350,000.

Transcript

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MARK COLVIN: The child abuse royal commission has heard how a victim of abuse who was originally offered $20,000 by the Salvation Army ended up with $350,000 after he initiated legal action in two separate courts. The settlement was reached out of court.

The witness, Ralph Doughty, was abused in a Salvation Army Home at Goulburn, New South Wales. The witness told the commission he first made a complaint of physical and sexual abuse to the organisation in 1951. The settlement was only reached in August last year, more than 60 years on.

Sarah Dingle reports.

SARAH DINGLE: Ralph Doughty was in the Salvation Army's Gill Memorial Home for Boys at Goulburn for about a decade, until the end of 1950. While there, he was beaten with items like timber and a garden hose, and also punched and kicked.

On one occasion, Mr Doughty says, against orders he had given himself and other boys water to drink. For that he was beaten by an officer known as "Captain X20" in his office - so savagely he couldn't stand.

RALPH DOUGHTY: When he finished I crawled out of the room through the door. I couldn't stand up. My nose was bleeding, my lips were cut and swollen, and my legs were not moving properly.

SARAH DINGLE: Mr Doughty was also sexually abused at "The Gill", as it was known: officers forcibly initiated oral sex and sodomised him with a cane. He was also abused and humiliated in the showers by an officer known as "Major X4".

RALPH DOUGHTY: I recall occasions where we were standing naked waiting to shower, and he ran his cane around the testicles and penis. When you're a boy, you're old fella gets a bit stiff, and he would hit it with the cane. He called it "taking the lizard for a walk".

SARAH DINGLE: Shortly after he left, just shy of 18 years old, Mr Doughty says he went to a Salvation Army office in Goulburn to report that he had been sexually and physically abused at The Gill. It was about 1951.

SIMEON BECKETT: And what happened as a result of that?

RALPH DOUGHTY: Nothing.

SARAH DINGLE: Mr Doughty says he next approached the Salvation Army in 1993, saying he wanted to pursue his claim. Three officers from the Salvation Army had a meeting with him, and after than contacted Major X4. They told Ralph Doughty Major X4 had denied even knowing him or being abusive to any boys in The Gill.

A decade later, in August 2003, Mr Doughty made contact with the Salvation Army requesting material in order to make a claim. In 2004, he told his story to ABC Radio.

Counsel assisting Simeon Beckett told the commission that after that, in September 2004, Major Peter Farthing contacted Mr Doughty apologising.

SIMEON BECKETT: And then Major Farthing says, "We have a well considered process in place for assisting those who wish to make a complaint." Is that right?

RALPH DOUGHTY: That's right.

SIMEON BECKETT: Is it possible, sir - this letter is dated September 2004. You'd had contact about 13 months before that.

RALPH DOUGHTY: Yes.

SIMEON BECKETT: It appears that the claim had not commenced...

RALPH DOUGHT: No...

SIMEON BECKETT: ...within the Salvation Army.

RALPH DOUGHTY: ...he hadn't done anything!

SARAH DINGLE: In 2005, Mr Doughty had a meeting with Major Farthing and another Salvation Army officer. Major Farthing made an offer of $20,000 as an ex gratia payment, then during the meeting he increased it to $60,000.

Mr Doughty said he wanted $10 million - $1 million for every year he'd had to spend in The Gill.

RALPH DOUGHTY: As Major Farthing was walking out the door, he said that he was authorised to go higher and then offered me $100,000. I said I was not interested.

SARAH DINGLE: That $100,000 was then increased to an offer of $150,000 plus counselling in 2007. Mr Doughty refused.

By 2011 it had gone back down to $100,000. That year Mr Doughty filed proceedings in the New South Wales District Court seeking $150,000. In May 2013, Mr Doughty also filed proceedings in the New South Wales Supreme Court seeking damages.

Finally the proceedings were settled out of court in August last year, for $350,000, which Mr Doughty said included his legal costs.

RALPH DOUGHTY: The Army wanted to push me through their system, have my claim dealt with, and never have to deal with me again. As a result of this, I felt that my only option was to litigate.